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ISSN 2224-3208 (Paper) ISSN 2225-093X (Online)
Vol.4, No.23, 2014
INTRODUCTION
Generally the soils of Pakistan are deficient in N, whereas 80% soils are deficient in P and 30-40% soils
are also deficient in K. Majority of soils contain <1.0% organic matter. Continuous cropping without application
of organic materials is leading to depletion of available nutrients and organic matter. The situation calls for
integrated use of organic sources of nutrients such as FYM, poultry manure, press mud etc., along with mineral
fertilizer sources.
Among the organic sources of nutrition, pressmud occupies unique position as a by-product of sugar
industry. Pressmud can serve as a good source of organic matter (Bokhtiar et al., 2001), an alternate source of
crop nutrients and soil ameliorant (Razzaq, 2001). It is also known as filter cake or filter mud, and used as
fertilizer in soils (Raman et al., 1999; Barry et al., 2001). It contains much of the colloidal organic matter anions
that precipitate during clarification, as well as certain non-sugar occluded in these precipitates. It is the residue
obtained from sedimentation of the suspended materials such as fiber, sugar, wax, ash, soil and other particles
from the cane juice. The organic fraction of pressmud is 15-30% fiber, 5-15% crude protein, 5-15% sugar, 5-
15% crude wax and fats and 10-20% ash comprising oxides of Si, Ca, P, Mg and K (Partha and
Sivasubramanian, 2006). This organic matter is highly soluble and readily available to the microbial activity and
so to the soil (Gaikwad et al., 1996; Rangaraj et al., 2007).
The weight of wet filter mud (80% water) averages about 3.4% cane. There are many physical, chemical
and biological advantages of pressmud. It improves structure, texture, aeration, water-holding capacity, and
porosity and increases stress tolerance. The yields of various crops including maize and millet showed
substantial increases with pressmud (PM) applications (Rangaraj et al., 2007; Elsayed et al., 2008) that were
attributed to the improvement in soil physical, chemical and biological conditions (Barry et al., 2001).
Maize dry matter yields increased with increasing nitrogen and pressmud rates (Bangar et al., 2000).
Memon (2005) reported that the raw pressmud had depressing effect on dry matter yield of maize, and that the
benefit of previously applied pressmud was evident in the subsequent wheat crop. Viator et al. (2002) reported
that filter cake increases cation exchange capacity for thirty months after its application and its residual effect
remains after four years.
In addition to pressmud, the sugur mills running distillery unit also produce another by product called
“spent wash”. These two by products and fly ash are mixed in a certain ratio and composted for 4-6 weeks before
it is sold as “biocompost” by sugar mills. While pressmud is the basic material used in preparation of
biocompost, spent wash is sprinkled on it during composting process. The resulting “biocompost” is therefore
considered to be rich in nutrients and ready to be applied to soils as a soil amendment.
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Journal of Biology, Agriculture and Healthcare www.iiste.org
ISSN 2224-3208 (Paper) ISSN 2225-093X (Online)
Vol.4, No.23, 2014
Keeping in view the significance of pressmud in the present scenario of agriculture and availability of
nutrients, this study was conducted to determine the value of bio-compost prepared from sugar cane pressmud
using maize as a test crop.
Analysis
Soil sampling
The soil samples were analyzed for some physico-chemical properties by internationally recognized
methods as follows: Soil texture (particle size) by Bouyoucos Hydrometer method as described by Bouyoucos
(1962), EC (dSm-1) and pH of 1:5 soil water extract by digital Conductivity Meter and digital pH Meter
respectively, organic matter by Walkley-Black method as described by Jackson (1958), available P by Olsen’s
(Olsen’s et al. 1954) NaHCO3 (0.5M, pH 8.5) extraction followed by colour development by ascorbic acid
method as given by Murphy and Riley (1964), and extractable K by extraction with 1N ammonium acetate
followed by analysis of the extract on flame photometer as described by Jackson (1958).
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Journal of Biology, Agriculture and Healthcare www.iiste.org
ISSN 2224-3208 (Paper) ISSN 2225-093X (Online)
Vol.4, No.23, 2014
Table 1. Physico-chemical properties of the soil used for pot experiment on maize.
Uptake of N in maize
The data presented on Table 2 showed that there was pronounced positive effect of addition of
biocompost as well as mineral fertilizer treatments on N uptake in maize. Overall, the N uptake ranged from
9.03% to 15.41%. On an average, the N uptake increased by 28.2% from 10.39 to 13.20% with addition of
biocompost. When biocompost was applied alone to unamended soil, the N uptake increased from 9.03% to
12.21%. Similarly the applications of N fertilizer also increased it significantly to 11.38% and to 15.41% when
biocompost was also added. It was noted that there was no effect of P fertilization (NP treatment) on N uptake,
and that the addition of K fertilizer (NPK treatment) showed decline in N uptake. The effect of fertilizer and
biocompost treatments was similar in all combinations, thus the interaction between fertilizer and biocompost
treatments was observed non significant.
C V% 13.03
S.E 1.53
L.S.D @ 5%
Fertilizer 1.90
Biocompost 1.34
Fertilizer x Biocompost NS
DISCUSSIONS
Recycling of organic wastes of animal and plant origin is being advocated, along with
chemical fertilizers, as a part of integrated plant nutrition management system. Sugarcane filter cake or pressmud
is valued as a soil amendment and an important source of crop nutrients. It is discarded as a solid waste from
sugarmills or used as manure. It is a source of replenishing nutrients in the soil either alone or in combination
with fertilizer to subsidize the input costs (Khattak and Bhatti, 1986, Hussain and Anjum, 1999). Some sugar
mills enrich pressmud and convert it into a product called as “Biocompost”. This is done by composting of
pressmud after adding distillery spent wash and fly ash in a certain ratio and allowing it to compost for 4-6
weeks before the product is sold as “Biocompost”. This study was undertaken to investigate the comparative
value of biocompost and mineral fertilizer in dry matter yield and nutrition of maize.
144
Journal of Biology, Agriculture and Healthcare www.iiste.org
ISSN 2224-3208 (Paper) ISSN 2225-093X (Online)
Vol.4, No.23, 2014
145
Journal of Biology, Agriculture and Healthcare www.iiste.org
ISSN 2224-3208 (Paper) ISSN 2225-093X (Online)
Vol.4, No.23, 2014
soil nutrient availability and uptake by plants. Comparing different sources, phosphorus and potassium
concentration in plants were maximum in poultry manure treatment and farm yard manure, respectively.
LITERATURE CITED
Aziz, T., S. Ullah, A. Sattar, M. Nasim, M. Farooq and M.M. Khan. 2010. Nutrient availability and maize (Zea
mays L.) growth in soil amended with organic manures. Int. J. Agric. Biol., 12: 621–624.
Bangar, K.S., B.B. Parmar and A. Maini. 2000. Effect of nitrogen and pressmud application on yield and uptake
of N, P and K by sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.). Crop Research (Hisar), 19(2): 198-203.
Barry, G.A., G.E. Rayment, A.J. Jeffery and A.M. Price. 2001. Changes in cane soil properties from application
of sugar mill by-products. p. 185-199. In: Proceeding Conference of the Australian Society of Sugarcane
Technology, Mackay, Queensland, Australia.
Elsayed, M.T., M.H. Babiker, M.E. Abdelmalik, O.N. Mukhtar and D. Montange. 2008. Impact of filter mud
application on the germination of sugarcane and small-seeded plants and on soil and sugarcane nitrogen
contents. Bioresource Technology 99:4164-4168.
Gaikwad, S.S., R.B. Puranik and S.D. Deshmukh. 1996. Dynamics of soil microbial population and nutrient
availability as influenced by application of pressmud cake in an Entisol. Journal of Soils and Crops 6(1):
82-85.
Hussain, T. and S. Anjum. 1999. Role of biofertilizer in boosting agriculture. Daily Dawn. Economics and
Business Review. October 4-10. p.3.
Hamdard, M.S., A. Sattar and U. Farooq. 2004. Studies on the use of Filtercake as a source of NP for increasing
crop production and its effects on crop quality. In: Proc. Of 10th Congress Of Soil science held at Sindh
Agriculture University Tando Jam. March 16-19, 2004.pp. 75.
Ibrahim, M. A. Rashid, A.S. Munir. 1999. use of sugar industry by-Product (pressmud) at the national Seminar
on Sugarcane Production held at Ayub Agriculture Research Institute, Faisalabad, Jan. 21-22, 1999.
Juwarkar, A.S., P.B. Deshbhratar, S.A. Bal, and A. Shende. 1993. Pressmud application to soil effect on soil and
crops. J. Ind. Po11.Cont. 9 (1):21-26.
Memon, S. 2005. Effect of pressmud on the growth, yield and chemical composition of maize. M.Sc. Thesis,
Department of Soil Science, Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam, Pakistan.
Partha, N. and V. Sivasubramanian. 2006. Recovery of chemicals from pressmud- A sugar industry waste. Indian
Chemical Engineering Section 48(3): 160-163.
Razzaq, A. 2001. Assessing sugarcane filter cake as crop nutrients and soil health ameliorant. Pak. Sug. J., 21(3):
15-18.
Viator, R.P., J.L. Kovar and W.B. Hallmark. 2002. Gypsum and compost effects on sugarcane root growth,
yield, and plant nutrients. Agron. J. 94: 1332-1336.
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